Accra, March 3, GNA - The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Sheik I.C. Quaye has called on ethnic groups to reconcile their ancestral lineages to bring about lasting peace and peaceful co-existence amongst the people of the country.

He said that, before independence, many of the ethnic groups in the West Africa sub region has common traditions and cultural practices but were only displaced by artificial barriers by the colonialists. Sheik Quaye who said this at the enskinment of Abalorikan Anfbawunu Mohammed as the Kassena-Nankana community chief for the Greater Accra Region on Sunday, stressed the need for unity among the various ethnic groups to ensure the socio- economic development of their societies. The Kassena-Nankana people are citizens from Navrongo, Paga, Chiana, Kayoro, Mirigu, Kandiga and Sirugu in the Upper East Region as well as others from the Province of Nahouri, Chibeli, Nania and Po and some of the surrounding towns in Burkina Faso.

Sheik Quaye said unity and peaceful co-existence is necessary, especially as the general elections were drawing near, adding; "we should not make politics to be seen to be dirty and not allow it to divide us".

The Regional Minister said party politics should be left to those who have the heart and capacity to 'stand the heat' to lead their people and not for those who want to ride on the shoulders of the people to make personal gains.

Sheik Quaye said the time has come for the people to show appreciation and their faithfulness to the government for ensuring massive development in their various communities by voting it to retain power.

He said the youth have a prosperous future ahead of them provided they take advantage of the various educational facilities such as the Distance Learning programme and capitation grant and ICT training schemes.

Mr. Hien Jean Baptiste, Consular of the Burkina Faso Embassy in Ghana said the peoples of the Ghana and Burkian Faso have almost the same ancestry and there was therefore the need for them to co-operate to bring about bilateral trade and understanding between the two countries. He advised the people to ensure that they are law abiding and not to engage in acts that would tarnish the cordial relations between the two countries and to continue to support their development programmes. The Consular commended government for establishing a Ministry for Chieftaincy Affairs and Women and Children and urged, especially the women to gird their loins and support the laudable plans under the two ministries to enhance their living standards. Members of the Council of Muslim Chiefs, Chiefs and elders of the Sissala, Zabrama, Gonja and Kassena communities assisted in the traditional enskinment of the chief.

The 50-year old Chief Abalorikan who was born in Chibeli in Burkina Faso worked at the German Embassy and sojourned in Nigeria, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia is now self-employed and succeeds the late Chief Kofi Bugadam, who passed away in 2005. Chief Abalorikan said his priority would be on education for the youth, especially the girls in the various communities so as to help reduce the increasing number of street children who abandoned their education and fend for themselves on the streets and engage in other social vices.

He said he would also solicit for support to empower the women to acquire basic skills and learn trades to be economically independent to contribute to the development of their communities.